Table game



L. A. BECKER July 20, 1937 TABLE GAME Filed March 20, 1954 INVENTOR Lawrence 1?. 5 8

WW ATTORNEY.

Patented July 20, 1937 s'rrss Application March 20,

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in table games, partaking somewhat of the nature of a billiard game, and the main object of the present improvement is to provide a comparatively inexpensive table, which, with ten or more solid balls of imitation ivory, and a cue, may be played in a manner requiring acquired skill.

The main feature of play herein is to so play the cue ball against the massed play balls by indirect or carom shots from the sides of the table as to break up the massed triangular set up of the play balls. A good shot can, by a proper hit on the king ball, move every one of the set up play balls, and a score gained in proportion. A poor shot may oniy displace a single play ball from its set up; or none at all. i

A further feature is in the structure of this play table, preferably made of hard wood, is the no bare, upstanding rail sides, which form cushions from which the ball, in play, carorns therefrom, due to the natural resiliency of the wood sides, and further the provision of a resiliently con- I structed end cushion rail which has considerable movement under the imp-act of the cue ball and which when so struck by the cue ball, gives considerable impetus to the cue ball upon its reaction movement, thus sending the cue ball on its way back to the play balls with considerable force, such reaction also controlling the direction of the cue ball.

Other features will appear as the herein decription proceeds, and it is obvious that modifications may be made in the structure herein Without departing from the spirit hereof or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the end cushion; and v Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line it, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

As in Figs. 1 and 2, the play table comprises a triangular shaped bottom I, Fig. 1, having a large end 3, and a smaller opposite end 3', both opposite sides thereof being inclined towards each other and being bounded by upstanding fixed carom rails 5 and 6, said rails ending at the narrow end 3', leaving this end virtually open, but at the wider end of the table the said rails are joined by a third rail 4, which bounds the Wide end of the table. The rails t, 5 and B are sufiiciently high to prevent the balls ID from bounding from 1934, Serial No. 716,449

the table during play. The rails are preferably made of wood, of sufilcient size and body as to cause the play balls to carom therefrom at a lively speed. The smaller table end 3, at the open rail ends is provided with two screw eyes 28-28, which are mounted in the ends of said rails 5 and 6, to operably mount a transversing, coiled tension spring 2i by its two hooked ends, Fig. 3. This spring 2! may be mounted so as to be under considerable tension between the two rails.

A fiat, woo-den strut piece I? is mounted and fixedly fitted to the rail ends and the table bottom l, near the tensioned spring 27 to support the stain of said spring, and the strut is provided at its midportion, Figs. 3 and 4, with two opposed, rabbeted grooves l8 and i9, to provide clearances for the two legs of a preferably, bent wire arm of U shaped proportions the two legs i l-i i of which pass through the rabbeted portions lB-ii of the strut ll and thus span said strut at its narrow cut out central portion 8 Fig. 4. The free ends i iid oithe U shaped arm are firmly embedded, with a hub 26, into a floating, wooden rail piece it, which is of the same height as the fixed rails s, 5 and 6, and as shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the rail it are vertically angled as at 2i3-2 i. The inside faces of the rails 56 are provided with triangular recesses 22-43 to permit of back action of the floating rail under ball impact, and the recesses at their wider ends provide stop seat abutments 2i-25 upon which the floating rail, always under tension, rests.

The closed end of the U-shaped wire arm, as

in Fig. 4 is provided with an inturned circular seat l5, into which nests the coiled spring 2i, and thus, due to the tension of the coiled spring 2! and the U arm I l, the floating or cushion rail is resiliently held to its seats 2ii-2i and in sym metrical relation to the fixed side rails 5 and 6.

When a cue ball is struck from the wide end of the table l, as from the position of rail 5, and strikes the floating or cushion rail 53 centrally, then as in Fig. 1, the rail and spring 27 will move back evenly as ,per dotted lines B and 2?. If, however, the face of the cushion rail is struck by a ball, in contacts on either side of the normal axis of the U arm M, then that side ofv the cushion rail struck will move backwardly, dotted at A, Fig. 3. In accord with position struck, the cushion rail will move backwardly proportionally, and in proportion give more or less rebound to the ball on its return. In play the feature is to shoot a cue ball from its cue as shown position as at either H or !2, Fig. l, carom it off either fixed side rail 5 or 6, and find the critical spot on the front face of the cushion rail on either side of its central portion, which will cause the cue ball to hit the king ball ill, Fig. 1, and scatter all of the play balls generally denoted by if Fig. 1.

Near the large or players end of the table I, Fig. 1, is centrally located a fixed triangular play ball retaining holder l, the base of which is parallel to the fixed rail 6, leaving one apex pointed at the center of the cushion rail is. The rear face of the base is provided with a ledge piece 29,

which extends from both lower apexes of the triangular holder 1, and forms an anchor to absorb the shock of ball impact, and to form pockets or seats 2929 to support the lower play balls of the set up and the set up play balls ill in massed play position. As the table is inclined downwardly from its upper narrow cushion end, as in Fig. 1 by a support means generally denoted by 2, the balls are all affected by gravity while at rest or in play. All of the balls therefore tend to roll to the rear wide rail 3.

The table bottom I may have two cue ball spots 8 and 9, these consisting of thin blocks 89 affixed to the play face of the table as in Fig. 2, the front faces thereof being curved to receive and hold the cue ball in either position H--i2 for play.

Preferably the cue ball is shot, with a cue, or any other desired form of well known ball shooting device, so that if shot from position ii the ball will carom off of side rail 6, hit the cushion rail is, then carom off of side rail 5 and then hit king ball iii and scatter the massed play balls, this being the perfect shot, and attainable by practice and skill.

Thus it will be seen that I have devised an inexpensive game which requires skill to play, and which can combine a modified form of billiards and bowling.

,. legs, said means including a base for engaging the two bottom or end ballsof the legs, and means extending from said base for engaging the inner faces of said legs.

3. A billiard game apparatus comprising in combination a table including a uniformly inclined surface having a wide low playing end, means fixed on said low end for displaceably holding a group of balls, means fixed to the table on at least one side of said group for holding a cue ball, said latter means being relatively low; side cushion rails bounding said surface, a resilient cushion at the top end, and a cushion rail member disposed at the low end and spaced below said fixed means for holding the ball group, so that a cue ball propelled from the lower end may be returned by the resilient cushion for displacing. members of the group, said space being adapted to hold said members.

4. A billiard game apparatus comprising in combination a table including a uniformly inclined top surface having a low wide playing end, a high narrow opposite end, high cushions bounding said surface, the side cushions being tapered or inclined inwardly to the high end, means fixed on said low end for displaceably holding a group of balls, relatively low side members fixed to the table on opposite sides of said group for holding cue balls, so that a cue ball may be struck by a cue driven from one side member to the opposite side cushion, the course of the cue ball being then to the high end cushion, to the other side cushion, and back to the members of the group for displacing one or more thereof.

5. A billiard game apparatus comprising in combination a table including a uniformly inclined top surface having a normally low wide playing end, a high narrow opposite end, high cushions bounding said surface and including side members, the latter being tapered inwardly from the low to the high end; means centrally fixed on the low end for displaceably holding a hollow pyramid of balls, the apex or king ball of the pyramid being pointed to the high end, two relatively low side supports fixed to the table on opposite sides of said means and each support being adapted to hold a cue ball on said surface, so that a cue ball may be propelled from one of the supports to the cushion at the opposite side, the course of the propelled ball being then to the cushion at the high end, to the other side cushion and back to the low end whereby to strike said king ball for displacing the latter together with the others of the pyramid.

6. In combination, a table having an inclined playing surface, means fixedly carried by said surface for displaceably holding thereon billiard balls in the form of two legs of a triangle, and two relatively low supports also fixed on said surface and disposed on opposite sides of said means, said supports adapted to hold cue balls.

'7. In combination, a table having an inclined playing surface including a top narrow end and a low wide playing end, means fixedly carried by said surface for displaceably holding thereon at the low end a hollow pyramid of billiard balls consisting of two legs, said means including a base for engaging the two bottom balls of the legs, the apex ball of the pyramid being pointed to the top end, and two low supports also fixed on said surface and adapted to hold two cue balls thereon.

8. A billiard game apparatus comprising in combination a table having an inclined surface including a top narrow end and a low wide playing end, means fixedly carried by said surface at the low end for displaceably holding thereon at the low end a hollow pyramid of billiard balls consisting of two legs, said means including a base for engaging the two bottom balls of the legs, means for engaging the inner faces of said legs, the apex of the pyramid being directed to the narrow top, and at least one support also fixed on said surface at adjacent the pyramid and adapted to hold a cue ball thereon, said support being so low that the cue may strike the ball above it.

LAWRENCE A. BECKER. 

